Account for use of extractive resources — Oxfam

Oxfam Ghana, an international civil society organisation, has emphasised the need for greater transparency and the accountable use of the country’s extractive resources such as oil and gas.

According to the Country Director of Oxfam Ghana, Mr Mohammed-Anwar Sadat Adam, transparency and the accountable use of resources on a right-based approach will contribute to the development of the nation.

Mr Sadat Adam was speaking at the annual Country Learning Review (CLR) conference organised by Oxfam Ghana in Accra on the theme; “The Role of Civil Society Organisations in Ensuring Accountability and Social Equity”.

The annual CLR was to highlight the role civil society organisations and citizens could play to enhance effective and accountable governance in the country.

Mr Sadat Adam said Oxfam focused on creating the platform for civil society organisations to understand the policies and programmes of the government in order to promote accountable governance.

He said Oxfam had conducted research on “budget tracking” in the agriculture and health sectors to know how budget allocated to these sectors was used in meeting the needs of the people.

Community empowerment, he said, was also critical towards national development and poverty reduction, and, therefore, entreated civil society organisations in the country to step up their advocacy role in ensuring that the ordinary citizen was adequately informed about governance-related issues.

That, he said, would facilitate the full participation of citizens and national unity.

Social equity

A gender consultant, Ms Alima Mahama, noted the need for government to produce adequate plans to involve traditional rulers at the district level to enable rural dwellers to comprehend national issues.

Other civil societies, she said, must also engage citizens at the district level, especially women, to benefit from their activities.

Social equity, Ms Mahama explained, was an element for sustaining development because it offered an equal opportunity for everyone.

She said social equity implied fair access to livelihood, education, health and resources that was necessary for all.

“Let’s address issues of social equity so that the government can produce the best practice to ensure that such issues are well addressed,” she added.